Never say die

After eight straight series wins, Queensland were not going to allow their run to end in a historic sweep, the first since 2000. A team with so much class, so much pride and so much experience was not going to have its legacy tarnished by a humiliating NSW 3-0 victory. So it came to pass, with the Maroons dominating game three from beginning to end. The Maroons held all the field position and while the Blues were stoic in defending their line, the floodgates eventually opened late to run the score up to 32-8. Queensland look so much more structured – and so much more settled – with Cooper Cronk back on the paddock. They didn’t panic when the Blues held firm in the first half, sticking to their game plan of second phase play and working the left edge. It eventually reaped rewards when the young Blues –frustrated and tired – succumbed. Never count down a champion and though they lost the series, there is no disputing the champion qualities that run deep in this extraordinary Queensland side.

Presentation farce

Queensland towelled up the Blues. New South Wales won the series. The trophy was presented in Brisbane when it was secured in Sydney. What a debacle. Amid both the boos of the few Maroons fans left and the silence of a near-empty stadium, NSW captain Paul Gallen was presented with the trophy he and the Blues had worked so hard for over the last nine years, following a heavy defeat in a match NSW were almost never in. The trophy needed to be presented after the Blues wrapped it up in Sydney, no bones about it. The ARL makes too many mistakes like these. A stadium full of Blues fans would have lapped up the trophy presentation but were denied the opportunity. There is an easy fix and one that needs to be implemented by next year.

Mate against mate

The promo tagline "State Against State, Mate Against Mate" was wheeled out in the 1980s to convince punters of the legitimacy of State of Origin and it remains as true today as ever. Just ask Titans coach John Cartwright, who was surely gnashing his teeth and cursing his cat when Gold Coast teammates Nate Myles and Greg Bird clashed. Bird dumped Myles on his head in an extremely dangerous tackle. Myles then responded on the ensuing set with an elbow to the throat of Bird that left the NSW aggressor splayed on the turf. Both may attract the attention of the judiciary and only time will tell how serious Bird's injury is. It is one of the great elements of Origin though – seeing club team-mates go at it hammer and tongs like they can’t stand each other.

Parker pops

Corey Parker is one extraordinary player and he was justly named man of the match after a stellar performance. Blues defenders never seemed able to contain Parker, who managed an astonishing eight offloads to go with 190m and 32 tackles. Often viewed as just a tackling machine, Parker is far more than that, a multi-dimensional player who is one of the best offloaders in the game. His ability to create second phase play wore the Blues down and put the Maroons in a position to come again at a flat-footed defensive line. Parker just seems to get better with age.

Smith asserts his dominance

In the lead-up to Origin III, NSW rake Robbie Farah said he considered himself the equal of rival Cameron Smith. The Queensland skipper – widely regarded as the game’s greatest ever hooker – showed why he is furlongs ahead of Farah with a typically classy display across all facets, shooting out of dummy half, manipulating the referees, winning the defensive battle and even crossing for a try of his own. Farah worked hard in defence but could do little else. Farah is a very good rake and a clear No. 2, but he isn’t even in the same postcode as Smith, let alone the same street. On a night Smith became the first Origin player to win 20 games, he also let his rival know he is No. 1 and plans on holding the title for a while yet.